Refrigerator



Dec. 6, 1938.

REFRQEGERATOR Filed y 3, 193a INVENTOR.

" k2 ATTORNEY,

c. H. NAUERT 2,139,244

Patented Dec. 6, 1938 PATENT OFFICE.

2,139,244 REFRIGERATOR Carl H. Nauert, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 3, 1936, Serial No. 88,722

Claims. (01. 62-126) My invention relates to cooling units for refrigerators, and more particularly to cooling units having bafile plates mounted thereon.

It is. an object of my invention to provide an improved cooling unit for refrigerators having one or more baiileplates secured thereon in such a manner that each baifle plate is quickly mounted on and easily removed from the cooling unit.

The invention, together with the objects and advantages thereof, will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the'accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and of which: i

Fig. l is a sectional view taken on line ii| of Fig. 2 illustrating a cooling unit embodying my invention arranged within the storage compartment of a refrigerator:

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line l i of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2 illustrating more clearly the manner in which the baiile plates are removably secured to the cooling unit.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it have shown my invention in connection with a refrigerator cabinet iii having thermally insulated walls l i defining a storage compartment it into which access may be had by a door it hinged to the front of the cabinet. Within the storage-compartment i2 is arranged a cooling unit M comprising a metal shell it having a plurality of compartments for receiving trays 6 adapted to contain water. An evaporator coil 29 of refrigeration apparatus may be arranged adjacent to or about the shell it for producing cold in a well-known manner to freeze the water in the trays iii and maintain the storage compartment it at a desired low temperature.

The shell ii: at the forward end of each side wall is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending ears of projections ll which have openings and are substantially flush with the end, of the shell. The side walls of the shell I5 are provided with bosses or projections 8 which have openings or recesses 99. The shell i5 is provided the openings or sockets in the ears ii and bosses it when the plates are placed in position at the front and side walls'of the shell it. The baiile plates are maintained in fixed spaced relation from the outer surfaces of the earsl'l and bosses 5 it by grommets or hollow members it each having an annular recess, as indicated at 24 in Fig. 3, to receive the edge of the baifie plate about an opening therein. The fasteners it are forced through the grommets it, which may be formed in 'of rubber, into the openings in the ears ill and bosses it whereby the bame plates are rigidly held in position.

The fasteners it, as shown in Fig. 3, comprise a tapered split sleeve 25 having an enlarged head is it, and a flat head 2i having its edges bent back upon itself to receive the flanged inner ends it of the two parts of the split sleeve 25. The two parts of the head 26 are tapered so that they automatically press together and slide into an 2o opening when pressure is applied to the flat head El! of the fastener. After insertion, the two parts of the split sleeves 25 of the fasteners tend to spread apart whereby the heads it frictionaily engage the inner walls of the openings into which pg they extend. The bafile plates lit and M are easily removed by force applied to the underside of the flat heads ill of the fasteners 22. v

In view of the foregoing, it will be understood 7 that by providing removable fasteners to secure an the bafie' plates to the cooling unit, the plates are quickly mounted on and easily removed from the cooling unit. Further, the mounting and removing of the bame plates may be efiiected without the use of tools. Yet further, other advantages are that the rubber serves as thermal insulation and compensates from any slight irregularities or misalignment of the sockets andapertures. I

Although I have shown and described a spe- M cific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that modifications and changes may be I made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What is, claimed is: 1. In a refrigerator, a cooling unit including a shell, a cover plate and one or more snap fasteners mounting said plate on said shell, said shell having one or more bosses each having an aperture for receivinga fastener, each of said fasteners having resilient prongs for engagement in one of said apertures, said plate having one or more apertures through which the prongs pass, and each of said fasteners having a head positioned on the exterior of said plate, whereby the head or heads may be grasped to remove the fastener or fasteners and separate the plate from the shell without use'of tools.

2. In a refrigerator, a cooling element, a cover plate, one or more thermal insulating spacers, and one or more fasteners removably mounting said plate on said element, said element having one or more apertures for receiving the fasteners, each of said fasteners having resilient prongs for engagement in one of said apertures, and said. plate and said spacers having apertures through which the prongs pass.

3. In a refrigerator the combination of a cooling element having a plurality of sockets associated therewith, a readily detachable baffie plate having apertures thereinsubstantially in alignment with said sockets, yieldable means detachably engaging said sockets and securing said plate in quick detachable relation with respect to said cooling element, and means thermally insulating and spacing said plate from said cooling element whereby to prevent the formation of frost and. the conduction of cooling effects between the ooling element and the baflle.

4. In a refrigerator the combination of a cooling element having a plurality of sockets associated therewith, a readily detachable bailie plate having apertures therein substantially in alignment with said sockets, yieldable means detachably engaging said sockets and securing said plate in quick detachable spaced relation with respect to said cooling element, and means flexibly connecting said yieldable means and. said plate.

5. In a refrigerator the combination of an evaporator having a plurality of sockets associated therewith,'a readily-detachable bafiie plate having apertures therein positioned substantially for alignment with said sockets, and quick detachable means flexibly engaging said apertures and said sockets and removably amxing said plate in insulated spaced relation with respect to said evaporator for ready detachment therefrom whereby any slight irregularities in said alignment are readily compensated.

CARL H. NAUERT 

